Deepcool UF120 Review

Introduction:

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of reviewing Deepcool's GAMMAXX 400 CPU cooler. In this review I will be taking a look at Deepcool's UF120 case fan, but first I will give some background information on Deepcool. Deepcool's manufacturing facility is located in Shenzhen, China where it manufactures a variety of cooling products for laptops, iPad and graphics card coolers. Deepcool has been manufacturing cooling products for 15 years, and its attention to detail and quality of craftsmanship that goes into each product is remarkable. Having only recently entered the US market, Deepcool is ISO compliant which means it adheres to strict international guidelines in manufacturing, management, and continued improvement. In this review I will be examining their latest offering, the UF120 case fan, in its retail packaged form. I will be comparing it to similar fans for performance and cooling efficiency.

Closer Look:

The UF120 is packaged in a white box with blue accents, which seems to be the standard for Deepcool's products. The front of the package contains an angled view of the fan itself. Just above the photo in bold lettering are the words UF120 with De-Vibration TPE Cover. On the front left side is a listing of the features: 2 Ball Bearing design, De-Vibration, Super Silent and PWM Control. The backside of the box contains a single photo with a partial cutaway view describing the TPE technology. The backside also contains information in multiple languages. The main structure of the fan is made of normal plastic, but the impressive part lies in the outer cover that is made out of a soft, elastic TPE material that absorbs vibrations.

With the outer sleeve removed we find a plain white box with Deepcool's logo in the center. Once we flip the cover open we can see the fan and accessories box neatly tucked into a form-fitting case.

Next we have the included accessories: PWM Y-adapter, 4 pin male to female adapter and the female 4 pin to PWM adapter. The second photo shows a cutaway view of the TPE coating; it is a soft plastic that absorbs vibrations. Besides reducing fan noise, it also helps to extend the life of the fan. Deepcool has really done their research into reducing fan vibration, and it is evident in the craftsmanship that they put into the design of the UF120 case fan.

In the photos below we can take an even closer look at the fan itself. A front and back view shows you the TPE white covering on the frame of the fan; this covering is what helps reduce vibrations when the fan is running at 100%. The UF120 has a total of 9 blades that deliver up to 66 C.F.M. running at 1500RPM. The noise penalty for this fan from Deepcool is a maximum of 27 dBA, a rather quiet rating. The cabling is sleeved to improve looks and ease of wire management. It is equipped with a 4 pin connector to allow PWM control of this fan.

Mounting the UF120 to the chassis is accomplished by using the soft mounts instead of a quartet of screws. These rubber studs serve two purposes, to hold the UF120 securely in place and to further improve vibration dampening much like what Noctua does with their fans. Installation requires simply pushing the soft mount through the fan and chassis, then pulling to securely lock it into place. No tools are required.